Former block



Oct. 27, 1925.

W. A. JONES FORMER BLOCK Filed Dec. 1. 1924 gnovnfw Patented Get. 27, 1925.

UNITED s'raras WALTER- A. JONES, or ooru'ivrnus, :011'10:

FOR-Man BLOCK:

Application filed December 1, 1324'; seriarno-z'rsaz'se.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it kicwn that I, lVAL'rnR A. Jones, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,- have invented a new and useful Former Block, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a refractory former block for use in drawing glass in sheet'form. One of the objects of the inventionis to provide a former block which may be con structed of material buoyant with respect to glass, said block being capable of partial submergence in the molten glass, 111 such manner that a sheetmay be drawn from that portion of the bath which lies immediately over the block. Afurthe'r object is to provide' a block ofthe character described which will be so shaped as to facilitate the formation of the sheet as it is being drawn. A further object is to provide a block of the character mentioned, provided with temperature controlling means located near the top thereof, so as to control or modify the temperature ofthat'portion' of the glass which immediately overlies the block, and whichis normally'drawn into the body of a sheet.

. The invention will be hereinafter fully set "forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

in the accompanying drawing V Figure-I is a side elevation illustr'ating'a former block constructed in accordance with the invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2"2, Figure 1, showing the block partially submerged in the molten glass Figures 3 and/tv are views of difierentforms of temperature regulating means.

Referring to the drawin designates a former block constructed of refractory clay or suitable heat resisting alloy in'e'tal', the material of which it is constructed being such that the blocliwillfloa't upon molten glass. Said block is approximately rectangular in cross'section, the top surface being convettedly rounded, the curvature of said surface being transverse to the longitudinal median line of the block. The said top surface is also inclined upwardly, as indicated at 12, contiguous to both ends of the block.

If desired the block may be provided with a longitudinal channel 13, in its'upper surface, said channel forming a seat for the reception Of a conduit 14, into which may be introduceda temperature' modifying fluid such as water or air. The temperaturemodifying fluid may be hot or cold, as the conditions involved in vtheshaping of a glass sheet may require.

In Figure 4t the block islillust'rated as and 16, through i which temperature controlling media may be caused to circulate in any desired manner.

of the molten bath which lies immediately over. the rounded-top surface of theblock 10, and the draw proceeds in a well-known It wil'l'be noted that an approximately shallowt body, of molten lass-is .rnaintained' immediately above the body 10, V the temperature of which is influenced by the block 10, audit is from this shallowportlon oftlie glass bath that the sheet is drawn,

new glassfiowing over the top surface of the block asithe drawing progresses; Said shallow portion S, by reason of athe shape of block 10', is deeper at thesi'des than along the longitudinal medial line of the block, which is the line of draw. By means of this arrangement the glass is maintained ata proper drawing temperature during the drawing o eratioinand the progress of drawing 71s greatly facilitated. By providing the endof the top'surfa'ce '11 with raised portions 12, the edges of the sheet are formed from glass which is son'iewhat' cooler than the-rest'of the bath, and for this reason the edges wills'et'i'nor'e' quickly than the rest of 'the sheet area,-'tlj1ereby'. maintaining provided'with a plurality of conduits the shape and preventing drawing in of the edges as the sheet is formed.

If for any reason it should be desired to vary the temperature of the shallow portion of the glass from which the sheet is drawn, either by heating or chilling, a block of either of the forms of Figures 3 or a may be employed. If the type of block of Figure 3 is employed, it will be noted that by passing a cooling medium through the conduit 14, the glass may be materially chilled at the drawing point, or if it is found that the temperature should be raised, a heating medium is introduced instead of cooling medium. The type illustrated in Figure 4; may be employed in the same way, but by reason of the increased volume of the combined temperature control passages 15 and 16, it is possible to obtain a more delicate response to changes in temperatures in the glass at the drawing point.

The advantages of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it belongs. It will be particularly noted that a former block of simple construction is provided, capable of being partially submerged in molten glass, and so shaped as to greatly facilitate the speed at which the glass sheet may be drawn. An important advantage is that means are provided for controlling the temperature of the glass directly at the point of draw. It is to be understood that when the block 10 is constructed of heat-resisting alloy, it will not float upon the molten glass but must be supported in suitable manner in the desired submerged position. I

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the form's of its use, what is claimed is l. A former block of the character described comprising a solid block of material buoyant with respect to molten glass, and capable of being submerged in a glass bath, said block having a convex top surface, the curvature of which is transverse to the longitudi'nal median line of the block.

2. A former block of the character described comprising a solid block of material buoyant with respect to molten glass and capable of being sulnnerged in aglass bath, said block having a convex top surface, the curvature of which is transverse to the longitudinal median line of the block, said block being thicker at its ends than at the portions intermediate therebetween.

3. A former block of the character described comprising a solid block of material buoyant with respect to molten glass and capable of being submerged in a glass bath, said block having a convex top surface, the curvature of which is transverse to the longitudinal median line of the block,

said top surface being also inclined upwardly contiguous to the ends of the block.

at. A former block of the character described comprising a solid block of material buoyant with respect to molten glass and capable of being submerged in a glass bath, said block having a convex top surface, the curvature of which is transverse to the longitudinal median line of the block, said block having temperature controlling means located contiguous to the said top surface.

A former block of the character described comprising a solid block of material buoyant with respect to molten glass and capable of being submerged in a glass bath, said block having a convex top surface, the curvature of which is transverse to the longitudinal median line of the block, and temperature controlling conduits extending longitudinally of the block contiguous to the top surface thereof.

(3. The method of drawing sheet glass which con'iprises partially submerging a temperature control element in a molten bath of glass, and drawing a sheet from that portion of the glass which lies immediately above the temperature controlling element. 7. The method of drawing sheetglass which comprises producing an elongated relatively shallow portion in a glass bath from which the sheet may be drawn, said shallow portion being deeper at the sides than at the middle, regulating the temperature of said shallow portion, and drawing a sheet from the middle of said shallow portion.

8. The method of drawing glass sheets comprising providing an elongated relatively shallow portion in a bath of molten glass,

said shallow portion being deeper at the middle than at the ends, and regulatingthe temperature of the shallow portion of the bath as the sheet is drawn.

9. The method of drawing sheet glass comprising partially submerging an elongated tei'nperature regulating element into a molten glass bath to provide a correspondingly shaped shallow overlying por tion of molten glass, drawing the sheet from said overlying portion, and varying the temperature of said overlying portion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

W'ALTER A. JONES. 

